THE Victoria and Albert Museum was supposed to open in 2014 but it's now thought the building won't open its doors until some time in 2015 after the location of the site was changed.

DUNDEE has often been the butt of jokes – but being chosen as the location for a new branch of the respected Victoria and Albert Museum was meant to change that.

The city is looking forward to a world-class attraction that will create up to 360 jobs and bring 500,000 tourists in the first year alone.

What once seemed like a pipe-dream project has been made a reality thanks to hard work from Dundee’s two universities and the city council, and the support of the Scottish Government.

The museum’s knock-on impact on the local economy and the wider reputation of the city will be huge.

But already there are concerns about the way the £45million project, part of a £1billion redevelopment of Dundee’s waterfront, is progressing.

In October, it was announced that the stunning glass building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will no longer be positioned in the River Tay off Craig Harbour as originally envisaged.

Instead, it will be brought inland – a money-saving measure after a detailed site investigation revealed the original scheme would cost much more than first thought.

The building will now be brought inland.

This was despite pledges from city bosses at the start of the project that “detailed questions” were asked of the architect’s team before they won a global competition to design the building.

Meanwhile, the Daily Record can also reveal that the completion date for the building has been delayed.

The museum was originally scheduled to open by late 2014. That first slipped to “early 2015” and has now been pushed back to an unspecified date that year.

The dramatic impression of the museum “floating” in the water – a nod to the city’s shipbuilding past – was a central part of the original design brief.

And some people believe the building won’t have the same “wow” factor in the new position – next to the Olympia leisure centre, which is to be demolished.

Hundreds of residents have signed an online petition to demand that developers stick to the original plan.

The petition says the building’s “bold, dynamic and confident presence in the River Tay” was the reason why Dundonians chose the design when they were asked to vote on the shortlist.

It continues: “While it is understood that there are major economic concerns involved in undertaking such a large project, this short-term gain and long-term loss strategy has haunted the city for far too long.

“Mediocrity (at best) has been allowed to prevail in the architecture built by the City fathers, and time and time again Dundee – and its people – have been sold short.”

The man tasked with making the V&A dream a reality is convinced that moving the building is the right thing to do, though.

Philip Long, director of the V&A Dundee, said it “substantially de-risks the project”.

A new planning application has been lodged and the proposals will go on public display next month.

Long said: “I’m very excited about the latest plans for the project and I look forward to sharing these with the public in January.

“Kengo Kuma was here last week to present us with the latest refinements to his vision for the building.”

Long is determined that the V&A Dundee will not become another big Scottish project – like Holyrood and the Edinburgh trams – that comes in way over budget and years late.

He said the National Museum of Scotland, which reopened in July 2011 after a three-year renovation, and the successful redevelopment of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery prove the country has a good record when it comes to big cultural projects.

Building the UK’s first design museum outside of London will be a much greater challenge. But at least the fundraising side of the project seems to be on track.

The Scottish Government have already committed £15million towards the building costs and the Heritage Lottery Fund have awarded £9.2million to the project.

The rest is to come from private backers but Long said he has been “heartened” by the support so far, including a seven-figure donation from a mystery benefactor.

He added: “The V&A is something for Dundee that will make people sit up and take notice. It symbolises the city’s inspirations.

“But it is not only a project for Dundee, it will be an inspiration to all of Scotland.”

But in a city that has been disappointed by big empty promises in the past, scepticism remains.